My only sunshine

The bitter business of growing up, of being stuck between childhood and adulthood, has been at the center of director Reha Edem's films for over twenty years. His feature film debut, "Oh Moon" was the tale of a young girl living under the oppressive clutches of her aunt, while "Times and Winds" was a meditative study of three youngsters coming to terms with the concepts of life and death. "My Only Sunshine" follows 14-year old Hayat, who lives on an Istanbul waterway together with her fisherman/smuggler/pimp-father and sick grandfather. She is left to fend for herself most of the time, the only one showing her affection a fat neighbor, though it is not the kind of affection that she needs. It's a harsh existence, but this silent young girl poses a quiet resilience and strength.

More viscerally dynamic than "Times and Winds" "My Only Sunshine" tells an open ended and elliptical tale with great respect for the integrity of it's child protagonist. Set along the Bosphorus straits, cinematographer Florent Herry captures the beautiful landscape in stunning cinemascope.
LEE BLANCHARD

Cast
Önder K. Açikbas, Erdal Besikçioglu, Banu Fotocan: Producer
Ömer Atay: Script
Reha Erdem: Cinematography
Florent Herry: Music
Orhan Gencebay: Spoken language
Turkish: Subtitle
English